Diary of Wing Commander Edward Lloyd Fleming, January 1944- January 1945 - Part 20

JANUARY, 1945

Wednesday 3

I had breakfast & went to briefing

but flying was scrubbed so we

put in the morning at link

and then had dinner. They

gave us an oxygen lecture then

we went & had a good game

of badminton. Had a shower &

went to Tea. We met most of 

the new course, Blue Hatch, Ron

Hebeck, Kev. Brennan etc. We

stayed in the hut at night & I 

had my U.VR. then wrote a few

letters to Shirl, Mrs Sid, Mrs

Morris & Judy. Got mail from

Pat, the Parkins, Daisy & Blue

Brittain. Also a book from Shirle

and some Australasians from

Margaret & Wesley.

 

 

JANUARY, 1945

Thursday 4

Got up and had breakfast & went on 

briefing. We had a fair bit of a 

hurry but got off eventually on 

our solo bombing. Did one, with

261 yd error, then we landed & I

did in a tail oleo. I got a bit of 

mail & some rations, then we 

took off again & did more

bombing this time with a result

of 181. Had it checked over then

went to tea Back in the hut I

wrote to Margaret and we had 

great fun making supper. We

had coffee, cocoa, soup, toast &

cheese. It's a real sight to see the

boys around the fire there. I had a

shave & got off to bed. I got

mail from home & Margaret.
52.

 

 

JANUARY, 1945
Friday 5
I had breakfast and then went
to the parade & we then went
down to the flight and at 1100
got away on F/A. Had a good
trip and came back OK. In the
afternoon we did a spot of
link and I fixed up about leave.
I took a parcel for Pat Wade
into town and then had tea. I
went to the laundry & U.V.R. and
then had a haircut. Tried to fix
my bike. Had a shower & then
got off to bed. I got two
more Australasians from my
Margaret today.
 

 

JANUARY, 1945

EIGHTY-ONE

52
Saturday 6
I got up and we went to crew

assembly but there was nothing

doing so we filled in the morning

at F/control etc. After dinner I got

the leave T'd up and went to gym

but it was all off so I came back

& sat in the hut. After tea we went 

to see "The Sullivan's" as a crew &

it was mighty good. I came back 

& toasted a bit of bread and wrote

David, Bluey Brittain, home & Daisy. 

Got mail from home & David.

 

 

JANUARY, 1945
Sunday 7
Got up & went to crew assembly then
parked. Left about 1030 & I went
to church in Moreton with Jack
Coffey. Xtra service. We organized
a bit of tucker at Cotswold Cafe
& caught the train to London with
Addy Walsh. We made good time &
I came straight to Victoria League
& cleaned up then went to see Lorna
Slade. She had Goldie, Mr Goldsmith,
Mr Latham & a couple of others so
there was bags of talk & it was a
very happy evening. I stayed to
supper then caught the No 16 bus
back to Victoria League. Goldsmiths
have lived in France at Le Conquet
& they all are C.O. Ambulance
girls. I had some supper in the
ping-pong room then came to bed.
 

JANUARY, 1945
Monday 8
I had a bath & breakfast & got a cake
of chocolate then took a walk down
to Marble Arch & thru Hyde park past
the Serpentine, which was iced up &
the Albert Hall, to Kensington where
I caught an U/grnd to Kingsway.
Sat in the Boomerang Club for a while
& then had a snack & walked to Piccadilly
& right along to Park Lane then
up to Oxford St. It was snowing a
lot. I looked thru Selridges & it is
a very big store. I had a meal with
ice cream there & then came back to
the Vic. League. I tidied up then took
a bus to Victoria where I rang them
but wrong number. Went there by train   
& the cops took me to Wheakes where I
met Mr. & Mrs Olse. Had tea & supper
& a great old natter and Mrs Wheake &
June are at Guildford - she is a beaut
photographer. Got the train back &
got off to bed. U/G. from London Res
& I got bunked at Margate.
 

 

JANUARY, 1945
EIGHTY-TWO
Tuesday 9
I went to Paddington with my
luggage then walked along Praed St
& took the U/Ground to Oxford Circus
where I walked down Oxford St & I
bought a couple of things at Kodak
and went to the YM in Tottenham C.
Rd, & had lunch. Took the U/G back to
Paddington and caught the 1345
back here, nattering to some interesting
folk all the way. I saw a lot
of snow in London and as we
walked back from Moreton, we
got very whitened. I had tea &
in the evening wrote. to Margaret
& home & got off to bed. I received
a parcel from Margaret with
^"King's Row" in it, some chocolate &
almonds & a pair of gloves.
53

 

JANUARY, 1945
Wednesday 10
We had breakfast and went
to assembly. We got jobs for the
morning but S/L. McReand caught
me in the parachute cloak room
& made us sweep out the crew room.
In the afternoon we all went to P.T.
and played some badminton &
I put my shoulder out so I went
for a run thru the ammo. dump
to the road. I had tea & in the
evening we all went to the pictures
as a crew to see "Going My Way"
with Bing Crosby. When we
came back I put in a few
photos. I got a letter from Mrs
Bridge today.
 

 

JANUARY, 1945
Thursday 11
We went on parade and as there
was nothing doing so we got
organized & I went on sick parade &
got the treatment. I did some link
and some with Jack then we had
lunch. In the afternoon we went
to the intelligence library and
for last two periods went to P.T.
I went for a run to the next
village. After a shower I had tea
and went to treatment. Today
I got 2 letters from Margaret and
wrote to Audrey, Pat Cranwell &
the Prestons.
There was lots & lots of snow
today & I took a couple of photos
It was a glorious sight just
"filtering" down. The boys had
a few snow fights.

 

 

JANUARY, 1945
Friday 12
We went on pay parade and then to an
F.F.I. at the NAAFI. I reported to A/crew
Assembly then went to intell. I did a
period in F/control & took Jack at
link. There was a big inspection of the
messes and we had to wait till 1315
At 1430 we panned around the hut &
in it & it was inspected by the C.G.I.
Went to the gym but it was full so
we went to the gen & intell. rooms.
Had tea and then came back to
the huts & wrote a bit. We all went
to see "Ladies in Retiremint" at the
NAAFI presented by E.N.S.A. It was
very good. I came back & had a
shave & shower & got off to bed. I
received a parcel from Aunty
Mabel & a letter from Pat Wade.
Also wrote Mrs Slade.
 

 

JANUARY, 1945
Saturday 13
Went late to parade & there was a
bit of trouble but it worked out
O.K. Spent the morning at intell &
down playing badminton. After
dinner I put the boys thru their
paces in the old link and then
went to flying control & then
we dropped in to sigs for a bit.
After tea I came to the hut &
wrote a whole lot & went to my
treatment. Had a wash & got
off to bed.
I got mail from Pat Wade,
Beryl Ballard & Uncle Sholts
today & wrote to Margaret, Mrs
Bridge, Blue Brittain, Parkins,
Mr Hughes.
54.

 

JANUARY, 1945
EIGHTY-THREE
Sunday 14
Had a bit of trouble getting up today
but made breakfast - & eggs! O.K. so
then went to intell & we did some
link and radar. I had lunch &
in the afternoon we went to the
gen room and then to P.T. where
we had a good game of badminton.
Had a shower & shave &
went to tea & then Alf, Len, Jack
& Murray & I went to church in
town but it wasn't too good.
I came back early & wrote a
couple of letters, home & to Aunty
Mabel.

 

JANUARY, 1945
Monday 15
Went to parade and at assembly
booked in to link. I did some
turret manipulation with Hal &
Alf & then had dinner. In the afternoon
we did some dinghy drills
and parachute drill. We got the
coal and watched a Lancaster
come in & drop a bloke. Got
some polishing wax & cleaned
the floor of the hut then went to
tea. I went to my treatment
and then came back and
wrote a few letters to Beryl
Ballard, Pat Wade and Uncle
Sholts. Also got letters from Pat
Cranwell & Aunty Grace.
 

JANUARY, 1945

EIGHTY-FOUR
53
Tuesday 16
Went on parade & put in the morning in
the usual way then had dinner. In the
afternoon they gave us leave so we got
passes & hitched to Broadway to the Lygon
Arms. Don Russell is the boss and he made
us very welcome. We went for a walk to the
new C of E. church and to the station & helped
a lady with her trunk & she wanted to tip
us. Had a super bath then went to tea in
the big hall used by the hunters after the hunt
for their ball. The whole place is very old
with low, rafter ceilings, lots of pewter and
crockery, paintings and immense fire
places! In the hall are crests of Dukes of
Bedford, Beaufort & Windsor. We had
beef to eat & after just talked in the
lounge & ate cream centered chocolates.
There is also a Sth African A.B. here. The
hotel was used in the film Sorrell & Son &
is very old in parts. It has been used by
over 200 dominion blokes during the
war! - & free too!! Wrote home & got to bed.

 

 

JANUARY, 1945
Wednesday 17
Eggs for breakfast then we met a Mr Renfras
a vet, who took us thru Laverton where he
attended a cow, thru Stanton, past Stanway
house where we saw the Tythe Barn, wine
cellar & gateway & dining hall, as far as Stan
then back thru Snowshill on back roads
the whole way. We had dinner & Mrs Russell
showed us over the hotel, the Charle's Room,
1634 Bible & furniture etc then Jack & I took
a walk X/C to the tower, 200 yrs old & 1050 ft A.S.L.
Then we had a look at the old Saxon church
in the valley & came back here for some
grub. Beautiful gardens at Stanway House
with lots of tulips trees & it is now used as a
girls' business school. It was a super day
& sunny whole time. I left a film at the
chemists to be printed & forwarded. Bags
of booze at dinner, before which we had
a bath & a walk. I wrote a letter to
Margaret and then got off to bed. Stanway
was the haunt of Edward VII & from the tower
on Fish Hill you can see 13 counties!

55.

 

JANUARY, 1945
EIGHTY-FIVE
Thursday 18
Don had us called at 0630 and we had a
breakfast of boiled eggs and then he showed
us the letters he'd written home & took us
back to camp in his car via Batsford
Park belonging to Lord Redesdale & Unity
Mitford. We went on parade & had to go to
films then had a usual day. After lunch
we were called to fly tonight & I got all
gunned up an N/F. Went to tea but it
was scrubbed so I spent the night in
the hut. I got mail from Sue Wainwright,
Freda Plumridge, David, a photo
of Mum & Dad & a cable from home &
Sue told me poor Harry Forster had
been killed. I wrote home, to Don
Russell and Sue.

In church:- on Sat Oct 21st 1933 there was rung on the
bells of this church in 3 hrs 25 min a peal of minor consisting
of 5000 changes being 4,720's of Oxford Bob & 3,720's
of Plain bob. As
13 counties can be seen from Fish hill

 

 

JANUARY, 1945
Friday 19
I went on parade then we went to the
F/A briefing and got off about 1240. It
was very rough and we all felt sick
& Jack was actually sick. We had a
late lunch then went to N/F briefing
and I spent the afternoon plotting
A/V's etc. I had early tea then we
went down to fly. There was a
big delay so we just mucked
round in the dispersal hut &
eventually got away on circuits. We
got on O.K. and I had supper &
then came back to bed. I got my
laundry from L. Riss. Back today
and also a letter from Mrs Wanler
at Epsom. Had a shower & then hit
the hay.
 

JANUARY, 1945
54 Saturday 20
Went to breakfast and had a quiet
day just messing about. I went to
Lunch & then had briefing for N.F. We
had tea and got out to the kite & taxied
to T.O. but it was a filthy night so
they scrubbed it. Had supper then came
to bed. I got two parcels from home
& one from Aunty Ailsa, Letter from
Daisy Mads, Mrs Lewis, home and
Margaret. I wrote to David & Pat
Cranwell
 

JANUARY, 1945
Sunday 21
Got up usual time & went to the mess for
breakfast & got an egg. We came back &
I spent the morning in the gen room
as we were half expecting to fly. We
had lunch & went to briefing & in the
afternoon Tass bought his car. We
had tea then went out to fly &
after a couple of dual circuits I got
away solo. Had a long wait at the
end of it and then had supper.
Came back to the hut & enjoyed ourselves
singing hymns with the wireless
being broadcast from HMS Warspite.
 

 

JANUARY, 1945
EIGHTY-SIX
Monday 22
We didn't have any flying to do
so we just bludged all the morning
and after lunch went to briefing.
We had an early tea then went
flying. I had a dual check with F/O
Hollander and had a wizard
couple of hours solo. We got supper
then came back to the hut & did
a bit of writing. I got letters from
Pat Wade a cable from Shirley and
Margaret, letter from Don Russell
& after a shower at night, got off
to bed.
56

 

 

JANUARY, 1945
Tuesday 23
Newspaper clipping - see original document
Airman Killed. — LAC Martin
John Frusher Foley, of Lakes Entrance,
Vic.,was killed, and LAC
Ewin Douglas Milliken, of Middle
Brighton, Vic., was slightly injured
on Sunday when two aircraft on
training flights from an RAAF station
in New South Wales collided
in mid-air and crashed.
[*PRO5229*]